


Adventures in Checking the Mail

by heart_attackles



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Agoraphobia, M/M, Neighbors, Shyness, babbling and cute!Jared, otp prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-08
Updated: 2016-03-08
Packaged: 2018-05-25 14:42:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6199066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heart_attackles/pseuds/heart_attackles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Our shy hero faces great beasts and giant men in his quest for the mail.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Adventures in Checking the Mail

**Author's Note:**

> *writes summary* what

Jensen tried to convince himself it wasn't that far. Two flights of stairs and ten paces to the right. He could do that. Of course he could do that; he's a grown man. But the longer he stared at his front door the more he wished it would stay closed forever. 

It's just the mail, for fuck sake. Grown men check their own mail. It was a lot easier when he didn't have to, though. Fucking Chris and his fucking honeymoon. 

Jensen checked the clock over his stove. What were the chances of running into anyone at 2 a.m.? With that thought to comfort him, he took a deep breath and reached for the door knob before he could talk himself out of it. Duty calls. 

The first flight of stairs down was a breeze. Sure, he was sweating bullets and ever few steps he was pretty sure his knees would stop working, but other than that, a breeze. The second flight proved a bit more difficult: he heard a door open in the hallway he'd just left. There was no way he could avoid the person coming down the stairs seeing him. He held his breath and surged toward the apartment's mailboxes. Maybe they wouldn't notice him. Just a guy checking his mail, no need to acknowledge him, thank you and have a good night. 

Jensen found his box, but was shaking too bad to get the key in the target. The more he shook, the longer it took; the longer he took the more he shook. He knew the person was getting closer, so he knew he had to hurry up. He needed to get ahold of himself. He went through the tips Chris had taught him; deep breaths and counting. By twelve, he finally hit the spot. 

Just as he was barreled down. Counting wouldn't help this situation, he realized, as he made his sudden descent to the linoleum. 

"Harley, no!" He heard front the direction of the stairs. 

Jensen rolled over to shove at the weight on him. He was having quite enough trouble breathing without an additional eighty pounds. 

"Oh, my God. I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" The bounding pup's owner was by him in a second. No, Jensen's not okay. Unless gasping for air is a description you'd use for okay. "Hey, man, he wouldn't hurt a fly. He's just excitable." The stranger tried to explain holding Harley's collar back as the dog tried to get at Jensen again. 

Jensen nodded, hoping he wasn't turning blue. Yes, I'm fine, Mr. Stranger Man, please take your cute dog and leave now. 

"Wait, you live here?" Yes, please, go away. He nodded without looking up at the man. "I've never seen you before. I'm Jared. Padalecki. I live in 3201." He saw a hand stick out in his peripheral. 

Well, looks like this dude isn't giving up easily. Jensen took a steadying breath. He reached out slowly to grasp the gigantic hand. "J-uh, Jensen." 

"Nice to meet you!" Jared shook his hand enthusiastically. His expression went back to concerned. "Are you okay, though, really? Oh gosh, let me help you up." He said as if just realizing they were still on the ground. 

Jensen lost what little breath he had gotten back when that large hand grabbed his upper arm to pull him up. Harley brushed against his leg is a way that both helped to push him up and also push him closer to Jared. Startled, Jensen looked up into Jared's face for the first time. 

Jared's eyes caught his for a moment too long before Jared cleared his throat and smiled shyly. "Can I, uh, can I walk you back to your apartment?" 

"Um, uh, okay?" Jensen wasn't sure if he'd meant that to be more affirmative. All he knew was he was sort of breathing again and that was definitely a new thing with meeting strangers. 

Jared beamed. "Great, uh, I'll make sure Harley doesn't knock you down again."

Jensen ran his hand over Harley's head, receiving an appreciative tail wag. "It's okay." Jensen said -- or whispered, more like. They headed back to the stairs. 

"So, what floor are you on?" Jared asked. Why wouldn't he stop grinning at Jensen? Jensen couldn't look at him if he was looking back, and he really wanted to look. 

"Third." Jensen answered quietly. "3203."

Jared seemed surprised. "No way! Right across the hall? I thought that unit was empty."

Might as well be. Jensen lowered his eyes further, not really knowing what to say. The panic was setting in again -- and that would really suck -- but then Jensen noticed something in Jared's hand. "What are you reading?" Whoa, he just initiated a conversation. Chris would shit himself if he were here. 

"Oh, uh," Jared blushed. "Just a book." He waved off. Jensen wouldn't push if Jared didn't want to discuss it. He didn't really know where he'd expected that to go anyway. "Well, I mean, it's not just a book, you know. It's by my favorite author. J.A. Ross. I mean, he's pretty well-known, I guess, but I prefer his smaller books. Not to sound like a hipster, or whatever, just... I don't know. Uh, do you know his books?"

Jensen was familiar, sure enough. He nodded with a secret smile. That was enough to send Jared into an excited fit asking if Jensen had read this or that. Jensen never even had to answer because Jared was already going into reasons why each and every story was his favorite. Jensen found his smile growing until it almost matched Jared's in all of his enthusiasm. 

Jared didn't slow down a bit until they reached Jensen's door. "Oh, God, I haven't stopped talking yet, have I? I'm sorry. I'd say I'm not usually this talkative, but that'd be a lie." He looked down at Harley bashfully. Jensen didn't know what to say so he didn't say anything; he was quite sure Jared would fill the space. "Hey, uh, you wanna, maybe -- I mean, it's okay if you're busy but if you want, you wanna hang out sometime? I mean, coffee or something? Maybe not coffee; I work most days. Maybe a movie then? If you want."

Jensen blushed darker than Jared was. "Um, okay." He agreed unsurely. Why the fuck? Maybe Jared would talk enough for the both of them. No way he could go to a theater, though. "Maybe, uh... Maybe here, though?" Jensen gestured to his door. 

Jared's brow wrinkled before he understood. "Oh, you mean at your place? Yeah, cool, okay! Is Friday good? Uh, maybe nine?" Jensen nodded, and Jared's smile split his face. He started backing away from Jensen's door as it opened. "I'll, uh--" he stumbled over Harley, but caught himself before he fell. "Uh, see you then." 

Jensen nodded. Why couldn't he stop smiling? He looked at Harley who seemed to be smiling back at him, completely unphased by nearly being squashed by a giant of a man. "You can bring him." Jensen said, feeling brave enough to look at Jared's face again with his door to protect him. 

"Harley? Really? Okay, cool! Uh, bye. Jensen." He waved happily. Jensen gave a small wave back before closing the door. He couldn't get over the sound of his name coming through that dorky smile. Wait, did he have a date? He thought he did. How was he supposed to have a date? He needed to call Chris. He wondered what time it was in Hawaii. Chris would laugh at him for inviting his own fanboy over for a movie. Well, no, he'd probably be too shocked that Jensen had talked to someone let alone invited them over. And it just had to be J.A. Ross's biggest fan, didn't it? Least he could contribute something to the conversation. 

So, his first date. That's pretty cool (read as: nauseating). 

Shit. He forgot his mail.

**Author's Note:**

> If people like this enough, I may do another part.


End file.
